NFPA Paralegal Core Competency Exam (PCCE)Legal ResearchHard
A paralegal is reviewing a state appellate court opinion and notices several parenthetical statements following case citations, such as '(affirming on other grounds)' or '(distinguishing Smith v. Jones)'. What is the purpose of these parenthetical statements in legal citations, according to standard citation formats?
- ATo provide a short explanation of the relevance or weight of the cited authority.
- BTo specify the exact page number where the relevant information can be found.
- CTo show the subsequent history of the cited case.
- DTo indicate the court that issued the cited opinion.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. To provide a short explanation of the relevance or weight of the cited authority.
Explanatory parentheticals in legal citations (governed by Bluebook Rule 1.5(d)) are used to briefly explain the relevance of the cited authority to the point being made, or to describe the relationship between the cited authority and the proposition for which it is cited.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. The exact page number is indicated by a pinpoint citation (pincite), not an explanatory parenthetical.
- C. Subsequent history (e.g., 'aff'd,' 'rev'd') is indicated by a different type of parenthetical, a 'prior or subsequent history' parenthetical, not an explanatory one like 'affirming on other grounds' which explains the *relevance* of the case's holding in a specific context.
- D. The court that issued the opinion is typically indicated in the reporter information, not primarily in an explanatory parenthetical.
Explanatory Parenthetical
A short phrase enclosed in parentheses after a legal citation, used to explain the relevance or weight of the cited authority to the point being made.
- Governed by Bluebook Rule 1.5(d)
- Clarifies the relationship between the cited source and the text
- Examples: (holding that...), (distinguishing...), (noting that...)
Memory trick: Parentheticals are like 'side notes' for citations, explaining their role.